


Intervention

by cantabrasil03



Category: Free!
Genre: F/M, Rin is a good big brother, he may be a douche but his sister is sacred, makogou
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-23
Updated: 2013-08-23
Packaged: 2017-12-24 10:23:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,455
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/938838
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cantabrasil03/pseuds/cantabrasil03
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt fic. Rin thought that by Tuesday Makoto would have charmed himself back into his sister's good graces with one of his doofy smiles. He was wrong.  In which Rin saves the day (reluctantly)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Intervention

 

Rin hated Gou’s boyfriend.

He hated him not because he was a bad boyfriend, necessarily.

He hated him because it was his damn fault that Gou was sulking in the living room on a perfectly good Sunday. He hated him because it was his damn fault that he was such a nice guy that Rin couldn’t find it in him to actually hate him.

He couldn’t hate Makoto if he tried. How could you hate a human puppy? It doesn’t work.

Rin turned his attention back to his sister, who was reading a book on the couch. Or at least, pretending to read a book on the couch. He could see her eyes were puffy from crying, but he knew better. Those weren’t sad tears. They were angry tears. Whatever the idiot had done, he had probably been on the receiving end of Gou’s rage.

His sister could be _scary_ when angered.

“Oi,” he called to her. “Do you want to go anywhere today?”

Gou looked up from her book, putting on a cheerful smile for her brother. “No, I’m alright.”

He didn’t want to know, dammit. He had been reluctant to accept that his sister was old enough to date in the first place. Makoto was just the lesser of two evils, the second evil being her dating someone he didn’t know. Unknown boyfriends were harder to track down and kill if they took too many liberties with his sister.

He didn’t want to hear about her relationship problems. He didn’t care if she broke things off with Makoto, assuming she stayed single through high school. And maybe college.

He didn’t want to know. That’s what he kept telling himself. He didn’t want to know. It didn’t matter that his little sister glowed when she was with her boyfriend, or that Makoto’s idiotic gentle nature suited her perfectly. It didn’t matter. He didn’t want to know.

“What happened between you two?”

So much for not wanting to know.

Gou looked surprised at his question and was too quick on the draw. “Nothing! What makes you say that?”

“Because it’s a Sunday and the idiot isn’t here to see you.”

“He can’t come every Sunday!”

“You two switch every week right? That’s what you told me. It’s his damn turn. Don’t think I’m going to let my sister take the train two Sundays in a row. What happened, Gou?”

She paused for a moment, looking as though she was weighing what to say.

“Hey,” he sat next to her on the couch, switching tactics. “It’s alright to tell me, you know.”

“He-“ She blushed, but turned up her nose. “Makoto is stupid. He was being stupid. I’m not going to talk to him! I have self-respect, you know!”

That told him….absolutely nothing. Gou went back to reading her book, and Rin suddenly felt guilty, though he couldn’t place why.

~

Rin thought that the issue between Gou and Makoto, whatever it was, would resolve itself. He figured by Tuesday that idiot would have charmed his way back into his sister’s good graces with one of his doofy smiles.

He was wrong.

The worst part about the whole thing was that by Wednesday, Makoto was texting him. As if he had anything to do with anything. He didn’t even know what they were fighting about!

_Rin, have you talked to Gou recently?_

_No._

_Would you mind passing on a message?_

_Yes._

He could imagine Makoto giving one of his long suffering looks at the ceiling, the way he did when they were younger.

_Please tell her I’m sorry._

_Tell her yourself._

_I have. But she doesn’t want to hear it._

_Sounds like your problem, Tachibana._

_It was a misunderstanding. She has to know that. I tried texting and calling her but she hasn’t answered. She’s not speaking to me at school. I know she listens to you though._

It took every ounce of Rin’s self-control to keep himself from asking what happened, and he knew Makoto was too discreet to venture any information.

_I’ll see what I can do._

Damn that idiot.

~

By Friday, he was fairly sure they still hadn’t made up. The only reason he knew was because his captain was in an insufferably happy mood. He had “heard through the grapevine” that Iwatobi’s manager was once again single.

He texted Gou that night.

_Are you going to tell me why I heard you broke up with Makoto?_

_We didn’t break up. I’m just mad._

That was more than she told him Sunday.

_Why are you mad at him?_

There was a long wait for her reply.

 _Because he told me I shouldn’t look at other boys_.

Rin stared at her text, unsure of how to reply. She shouldn’t look at other boys? That didn’t sound like Makoto. He seemed too easygoing to be the jealous type. Had he really changed that much since they were younger? No. But Rin couldn’t doubt his little sister.

_What did he say, exactly?_

_That he didn’t think I should look at other boys._

_That doesn’t make sense. Are you going to make up with him or not?_

There was no reply. Rin hit his forehead on his desk. He couldn’t believe he was about to do this.

_Makoto texted me_

_When?_

_Wednesday. He said to tell you he’s sorry._

_~_

Sunday rolled around again and Rin found himself back at home to check on Gou. She was in the same spot he had left her last Sunday, curled up with another book.

“Really? Still?”

She looked up at him, but this time, her look wasn’t angry. It was sad.

Rin was done.

“That’s it!”

“What’s it?”

But Rin only took his sister by the hand and started walking. He led her to her room.

“Get dressed.”

“Wha-? Why?”

“I’m taking you out. I can’t stand this anymore.”

They were silent on the train. They were silent when they arrived at the station. But when Gou realized she was being fairly dragged to Makoto’s house, she panicked.

“Rin! What are you doing?”

His grip on her wrist was strong. “What should have already been done. I can’t believe I let you two rope me into this. Now you’re going to talk to each other like proper idiots and sort this out, because I can’t take it anymore!”

Gou pressed her lips together and dug her heels into the ground, surprising her brother, who stumbled.

“You-you can’t make me,” she yanked her hand back and crossed her arms, petulant. Rin was stunned.

“Can’t make you- listen to me-“

“Rin?”

The siblings turned to see Makoto standing on the steps leading to his home, a puzzled look on his face. He noticed Rin first, but when his gaze shifted to Gou, he blushed.

“Kou!”

Gou kept her arms crossed. Rin sighed in defeat.

“Look, I don’t know what is going on but here-“ he stepped behind his sister and gave her a push. “I’m going for a walk. You two do what you need to do. If you’re going to break up, just do it already! Just- stop texting me about it! I don’t have time for this!”

With that, he dug his hands in his pockets and walked away, leaving his sister and his former teammate gaping. This was stupid. This was so stupid. He should be happy if his sister breaks up with her boyfriend. Having a relationship with a horny high school boy could only lead to all kinds of trouble she didn’t need to be in.

Except that the nagging voice in his head told him he knew Makoto better than that. He knew that his sister couldn’t be in better hands.

Who was he kidding? If they ended up married Rin would have no reason to complain.

He walked to the beach and sat for a bit. The sun was low in the sky by the time his phone rang. It was Gou.

He answered quickly. “Well?”

“Big brother? We’re-I’m –“

Rin leaned forward, ignoring the tightening in his chest brought on by her hesitation. In all his musings about his sister and her potential breakup, he forgot the crucial possibility that she would end up with a broken heart. He didn’t want to contemplate-

“Are you alright? Gou?”

“Yes!” Her voice was light, back to its usual cheery tone. “Makoto is walking me back to the station. Where are you?”

He sighed in relief. “At the beach. I’ll be right there.” He held the phone away to hang up but heard his sister call out,

“Big brother?”

“Yeah?” Rin put the phone back to his ear.

“Thank you. You’re the best!” She hung up, and Rin was glad no one was around to see his smile.


End file.
